Josh Dix lit it up with 23 points, and sophomore Seydou Traore had a very nice first game as a Hawkeye with 12 points and shot-blocking

IOWA CITY — A West African influence is looking like a very good influence for the Iowa men’s basketball program.

On the day the news came that Mali native and 6-foot-10 forward Bidara Diakite of Connecticut committed to the program as a Class of 2025 recruit, two current Iowa players of West African descent were very good in the Hawkeyes’ 96-77 win over South Dakota Tuesday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Forward Seydou Traore, a 6-7 sophomore playing his first game as a Hawkeye after missing the team’s opening two contests with a foot issue, had 12 points in 22 minutes. Soph forward Ladji Dembele had a career-high 11 points and a game-high 8 rebounds.

Traore was born and raised in New York City, but his parents came to the U.S. from the Ivory Coast, which borders Mali. Dembele was born in Mali and lived there until he was 13 when his family moved to Spain, and then New Jersey.

Another Hawkeye, freshman Chris Tadjo, lived in Mali before moving to Montreal.

With starting center Owen Freeman out with illness, Traore and Dembele helped make up for his absence. Traore blocked a pair of shots. Dembele had four offensive rebounds.

“I think they fit well into this institution and into this state,” Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery said of Dembele, Traore and Tadjo. “I think our style of play fits all of them, but it’s been impressive to me how easy it has been to coach those guys.

“They’re innately workers. They work, they listen, they want to do what the coach asks them to do. If anything, I try to get them to be a little more free-flowing. Just trust your talent and make plays. And you’re seeing that more with Ladji this year. And you’ll see with Chris. Seydou’s doing it already.

“I have no doubt our addition will do the same.”

Traore averaged 11.8 points last season as a freshman with Manhattan. He confidently made a couple of first-half 3-pointers.

“You can’t speed him up,” McCaffery said. “He plays at his pace.

“He makes plays for himself, but he almost appreciates making plays for other people more.

Traore said “I didn’t miss a beat” in his first practice back from what he called a tweak in his right foot. It didn’t appear he missed a beat in the game, either. One of the night’s biggest roars came when he finished a lob from Brock Harding with an authoritative dunk.

Traore was an AAU teammate of Diakite’s with the New York Lightning.

“It’s just amazing having another brother commit to the Hawkeyes,” Traore said.

Oh, Iowa’s player from western Iowa was especially good Tuesday, also. Junior guard Josh Dix of Council Bluffs made 5-of-6 three-pointers and scored 23 points.

“My teammates were really just finding me when I was open, making it easy for me,” Dix said. “I was just catching and shooting wide-open threes.”

Freeman, who had 15 points and three blocks in both of Iowa’s first two games, is expected back Friday. That’s when Iowa (3-0) plays Washington State (3-0) at Vibrant Arena in Moline, Ill., at 7:30 p.m.

Comments: (319) 398-8440; mike.hlas@thegazette.com

Iowa Republican lawmakers have reelected Sen. Jack Whitver as Senate majority leader and Rep. Pat Grassley as House speaker, they announced Tuesday.

Republicans expanded their majorities in last week’s election and are set to enter the 2025 legislative session with a 67-33 majority in the Iowa House and a 35-15 advantage in the Iowa Senate, if results hold. A few races could see recounts.

A 67-member Republican supermajority will be the largest majority the party has held in the Iowa House since 1970. The 35-seat Senate supermajority is also the largest since 1970.

More: Republicans expand majorities in Iowa Legislature to historic levels after strong election

Whitver, of Grimes, has led Senate Republicans as majority leader since 2018.

Grassley, of New Hartford, has led House Republicans as speaker since 2019.

Senate Republicans keep Jack Whitver as majority leader, Amy Sinclair as president

In a statement, Whitver called his reelection as majority leader “an honor.”

“I am proud of our accomplishments like implementing a flat income tax, eliminating the tax on retirement income, fighting off excessive spending and providing law enforcement the legal protection and equipment they need to safely do their jobs,” he said. “I look forward to working on important issues facing our state like lowering the cost of living and easing the property tax burden.”

Whitver announced in May that he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and was receiving radiation therapy. A statement from Senate Republicans on Tuesday said Whitver began drug therapy following his radiation treatment. He “is responding well to the treatments and continues to see forward progress,” the statement says.

“Multiple recent scans this fall have shown a steady and continued reduction in the size of the tumor, many of his symptoms have improved and optimism abounds about his recovery,” the statement says.

Whitver was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2011 and previously served as Republican whip, and Senate president.

Also on Tuesday, Senate Republicans reelected Sen. Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, as president of the Iowa Senate. Sinclair has held the post since November 2022. She was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2013 and has served as majority whip and chair of the Education Committee.

“It is humbling to be chosen to serve another term as president of the Iowa Senate,” Sinclair said in a statement. “I look forward to working together with our even larger supermajority to continue implementing pro-growth, pro-taxpayer, pro-family policies to make Iowa the best state in the country.”

Senate Republicans also elected. Sen. Ken Rozenboom, R-Pella, to serve as president pro tempore of the Iowa Senate, replacing Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, who lost to Democrat Matt Blake in last week’s election.

Rozenboom was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2012. For the past two years he has chaired the Senate Education Committee, leading passage of high-profile laws including Gov. Kim Reynolds’ private school education savings accounts program and a law banning books depicting sex acts from schools and banning teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation in kindergarten through sixth grade.

And Senate Republicans chose Sen. Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville, to serve as majority whip, replacing former Sen. Waylon Brown, R-Osage, who resigned in July to take a private sector job. Klimesh was first elected to the Senate in 2020 and has chaired the Transportation Committee for the past two years.

Sens. Carrie Koelker, R-Dyersville, Adrian Dickey, R-Packwood, Lynn Evans, R-Aurelia; and Tim Kraayenbrink, R-Fort Dodge, were elected assistant majority leaders.

House Republicans keep Pat Grassley as speaker, Matt Windschitl as majority leader

In a statement, Grassley touted the fact that House Republicans protected every incumbent running for reelection and flipped three Democratic-held seats to increase their majority to 67 seats.

“Since Republicans became the majority party in the Iowa House in 2011, we introduced sound budgeting practices, reduced burdensome red tape, innovated new ways to grow a strong workforce and kept our common sense on social issues,” Grassley said. “In response to our agenda, Iowa voters have continued to grow our majority.”

Grassley was first elected to the Iowa House in 2006 and previously chaired the Appropriations, Agriculture and Economic Growth committees.

House Republicans also reelected Rep. Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, as majority leader, a post he has held since 2019.

“The message we received from Iowans this election cycle is loud and clear,” Windschitl said in a statement. “Iowans support our agenda to protect their freedoms, lower their taxes, eliminate government waste and fight for the return to common sense. Iowans know they can trust this caucus to deliver on the promises we make. And we are ready to get back to work for our constituents.”

Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, was reelected as speaker pro tempore of the Iowa House, a position he’s held since 2019.

And House Republicans reelected Rep. Henry Stone, R-Forest City, as majority whip.

On Saturday, House Democrats reelected Rep. Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, as minority leader. Konfrst has led House Democrats since 2021.

Senate Democrats will need to choose a new minority leader after Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, retires at the end of the year. But they have not yet held leadership elections as they await the possibility of recounts in a few close races.

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

Deanna Strable, a native Iowan and a Dowling Catholic High School graduate, will be the next CEO of Principal Financial Group, the company announced Tuesday.

Strable, the first woman to lead the Des Moines-based Fortune 500 firm, will take over Jan. 7, 2025. She will succeed Dan Houston.

“I am honored to be appointed as the company’s next president and CEO and build upon the strong foundation we’ve established under Dan’s leadership,” Strable said in a news release. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen Principal strengthen its position as a leading global financial services company dedicated to helping customers build strong financial futures. Alongside our committed and passionate colleagues around the world, I look forward to continuing our culture of innovation, inclusion, and service, with a focus on meeting customer needs to drive growth and create shareholder value.”

Houston will continue to serve as executive chair of the Principal board of directors, the company said.

“It has been an honor to serve as president and CEO and work with so many talented employees around the world,” Houston said in the news release. “Deanna has been a trusted partner and a co-architect in the company’s growth strategy. I have the utmost confidence in her leadership and business acumen and look forward to working with her to ensure a smooth transition.”

One of Iowa’s largest financial firms, the company has nearly 19,000 employees worldwide serving 68 million customers. It has $288 billion in assets and had $14.9 billion in revenue and $1.3 billion in profits in 2024, according to Forbes.

Strable will join the Principal board in January. She has been the company’s president and chief operating officer since August, and before that had been chief financial officer since 2017. She also has been president of the company’s workplace benefits and insurance business.

“Deanna brings strategic vision, strong leadership experience, and a deep understanding of the company’s interconnected business units and great culture,” Scott M. Mills, lead independent director of the Principal board, said in the news release. “She has cultivated a breadth and depth of experience during her 35 years with Principal and held key leadership roles in shaping its strategy and portfolio of businesses. We look forward to her continued leadership driving Principal into the next phase of growth.”

The news release said Strable has been instrumental in leading business strategy and operations. It said she helped build the company’s benefits and protection business as the first leader of its specialty benefits division before stepping into the role of business unit president in 2015.

Locally, Strable serves on the board of directors at Simpson College and previously held various positions for the United Way of Central Iowa.

Houston has served as president and CEO of Principal since 2015 and has held several leadership positions during his 40 years with the company. During his tenure, Principal’s market capitalization grew from $13 billion to more than $20 billion, the news release said.

“Dan has been the driving force behind Principal’s evolution over the last 10 years,” Mills said in the release. “He set the company’s growth agenda and led the company through significant transformation. Principal is in a position of strength today and is well positioned for continued growth thanks to his leadership.”

Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.